Macedonian parliament approves reshuffle that includes opposition in conservative Cabinet

SKOPJE, Macedonia – Macedonia's parliament has approved a Cabinet reshuffle that includes left-wing opposition politicians in the conservative government, under a Western-brokered deal that ended months of political crisis.

The new Cabinet approved Wednesday includes the Social Democrats' Oliver Spasovski as interior minister. Opposition politicians also received the labor portfolio, and three deputy ministerial positions.

The agreement reached in July following European Union and U.S. mediation foresees conservative Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski resigning by mid-January, and an early election on April 24.

The deal followed intense political turmoil after Social Democrat leader Zoran Zaev claimed Gruevski's government had illegally wiretapped 20,000 people, including police, judges, religious leaders, journalists and foreign diplomats.

Zaev said the recorded conversations reveal rampant government corruption. Gruevski denies wrongdoing, and blames the wiretaps on foreign spies.